Nanofilm electrodes capable of detecting stress in plants through bioelectric potentials could pave the way for more resilient agriculture, report researchers from Institute of Science Tokyo. Thanks to the electrode’s small thickness, leaf surface hairs can easily pierce through it, enabling stable and long-term electrical contact without compromising the leaf’s natural processes. This work could help improve crop yields by enabling early detection of stress in plants.

Microbial metabolites influence health far beyond the intestinal tract. Yet, a systematic understanding of how these molecules precisely control specific immune cell functions and regulate disease has remained elusive. A comprehensive review by the team of Professor Changtao Jiang and Dr. Kai Wang at Peking University addresses this gap. The article provides a critical theoretical foundation for understanding the gut microbiota-metabolite-immune axis in disease pathogenesis and for developing targeted intervention strategies.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly being explored as a tool to support clinical decision-making, yet its real-world performance in pediatric diagnosis remains unclear. Now, a Pediatric Investigation study using authentic clinical cases reports that advanced AI models outperform clinicians in diagnostic accuracy, particularly for rare diseases, while a combined human-AI approach achieves the highest overall success. The findings highlight the potential of AI as a complementary tool to improve diagnostic precision and patient outcomes.

MIT researchers have developed a “living implant” that uses muscle to restore function to weakened organs—potentially offering an alternative to mechanical devices and transplants.

A collaborative research study co-led by scientists at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and the Liber Institute for Brain Development has for the first time identified a biological process that may help explain how the brain develops differently in people with Down syndrome.

Researchers at the ALS Center Netherlands at University Medical Center Utrecht have identified new genetic abnormalities that play a role in the development of ALS. As a result, the proportion of patients for whom a genetic cause can be identified of the neuromuscular disease has increased from 20 to 25 percent. The discovery also improves understanding of the disease and may, in time, support the development of targeted treatments for a subset of patients.

Colour coding on food product labels is becoming more common. How does it influence consumers and their dietary choices? Recent research by scientists from SWPS University, the University of Wisconsin, and the University of Massachusetts indicates that colour coding is much more effective than simple nutritional tables, and it is all due to the way the brain responds to benefit and risk signals.